Automatic baby-carriage.



J. ZAJAU. AUTOMATIC BABY CARRIAGEx APPLICATION 21mm MAR. 9, 190a.

Patented Mar. 16, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. ZAJAO. AUTOMATIC BABY GARRIA GE. APPLIOAI'ION IILEI) MAR. 9, 1-908.

Patented Mar. 16, 1909.

2 SHEETS-8KBET 2.

. prope JULIUS ZAJAC, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC BABY-CARRIAGE.

No. e15,149.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 16, 1909.

Application filed. March 9, 1908. Serial No. 419,952.

To allflwhom it may concern:

Be'it known that I, JULIUS ZAJAO, a"subject of the Emperor of Germany, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Babyfjarriages, of which the following is a complete specification.

This invention relates to im rovements in automatic baby carriages an 'fnore particularly to a baby carriage provided with self propelling and automatic reversing'mechanisms.

In the care of infants it is a well known fact that constant motion of the infant ofttimes has-a quieting effect, and it is customary to place the infant in a cab or carriage and manually wheel it back and forth. Such an operation is not only tiresome but it prevents the operator from performing many other duties while caring for the infant.

The object of this invention is to provide a .bab carriage or the like, having self g and reversing mechanism thereon adapted to .move the carriage alternately forward and backward over a limited distance without the constant care of an attendant. i

It is also an object of the invention to fill'lovide means for throwing the self propelg and reversing mechanisms out of operation so that the carriage may be propelled manually in they usual manner w en it is desired to run the carriage in but one direction.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a reciprocating baby carriage having means adapted to cushion. its movement at both its forward and backward limit, there-J by preventing any 'ar or jerking of the infant due to the su den reversal ofmovement.

It-is a still further object of the invention to provide an automatic reversing mechanism equally adapted for use" ulpon various toys or vehicles other than ha y carriages Where it is desired to produce a reciprocating travel;v

The invention consists of the matters hereinafter described in the specification and more fully pointedout and defined in the claims.

Inthe drawings: Fi e 1 is .a side elevation of a baby 0 age embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a'topplan view of the same. .Fig; 3 is a, side. eevation of the-1 automatic propelling and reversing mechanism. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the same.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the opposite side ofsaid mechanism from that shown in Fig. 3. As shown in said drawings: A indicates the rear axle, having wheels a of any preferred construction journaled thereon, and

A indicates the front axle having wheels a journaled thereon. A frame B of any preferred construction is mounted on the front axle, which is journaled therein, and in said frame is mounted the propelling and reversing mechanism to be hereinafter described. Brace bars B are engaged at their forward ends to said frame B and at their rear ends are engaged to said rear axle. A body or basket C is engaged in any preferred manner upon front and rear springs c and c, which are mounted respectively upon the frame and the rear axle, as shown more clearly in Figs. 1 and 2.

' Any preferred means maybe provided to furnish the motor power but, as shown, a coiled spring-D is engaged at one end to a shaft D 'ournaled in the frame, and at its other encf is an aged to a transverse bar or rod 61 near the bottom of the frame. Said shaft D is rovided with a suitable key d by means of w ich the spring may be wound up, and at one side of said spring is a drive gear (1 journaled on said shaft. A ratchet al is rigidly engaged on the shaft adjacent said gear, and a pawl (1, having a spring (i is pivoted on the gear and is adapted to engage said ratchet and drive the gear when the shaft is rotated by said spring- A shaft E is journaled insaid frame, forwardly of the drive gear d and'is provided with a pinion e meshing with said gear and by means of which the shaft is rotated] A gear 6 is rigidly engaged onflthe shaft E and meshes with and drives oppositely a similar gear f which is rigidly engaged on a shaft F, journaled in the forward part of the frame.

' Rigidly enga ed on the shaft E is a double se ment earG, a diametiicallydis osed se s of te eth thereb r it each ofwhich extends slightly less than one fourth of the circumference of the car. A like double segment gear G is rigi yen aged on the shaft F and is likewise provide withtwo sets of diametrically disposed teeth 9', and owing to the fact that the shaft F is driven o positely from the shaft E said gear G rota [es oppositely from the gearG.

Two pimons, a and 0, are rigidly engaged on the axle A in alinement with the gears G and G respectively and are ada ted to mesh with the teeth 9 and g. Sai double segment ears are so arranged on their shafts that w en the teeth of one of the same are in mesh with the corresponding pinion on the axle A, the teeth on the other are out of mesh with its pinion with the intervening space between the sets of teeth adjacent to said pinion, with the result that the ears G and G act to alternately rotate the ax e A in opposite directions.

Any preferred means may be provided for stop ing and starting the propelling mechanism ut, as shown, a stop lever H is pivoted on an arm h which is engaged on the frame and supports said lever above the axle A. The lower end of said lever is provided-with outwardly directed lugs h and a in k is carried on the frame and extends t rough a suitable slot or aperture in the lower end of the lever and is rovided with a head thereon adapted to limit the outward swing of the lever. Any preferred means may be provided to normally hold the lower end of said lever at the inner limit of its movement, but as shown a spring H is engaged on the frame and bears against the lever and holds it against the frame. Rigidly engaged on the axle A beneath said lever is a plate It or any wardly directed pins h, and loosely engaged on the axle is an arm H extending upwardly between said pins into position to engage said lugs when the lever is at the inner limit of its movement and prevent the axle from turning. Said lever may be operated in any referred manner but, as shown, it is provided with an arm extending inwardly over the frame, and a shaft I is journaled in the frame above said arm and is rovided with a cam 71 adapted to enga e sai arm when the shaft is rotated and, y forcing it downwardly, thereby move the lower end of the lever ::ut wardly and release the arm H and permit the axle to rotate. Said shaft I is provided with a vertical arm i towhich is engaged one end of an adjoining bar or rod I which extends to the rear of the carriage into position to be engaged by the operator.

or the purpose of preventing the spring D from unwinding too far a rearwardly extending bow d is engaged at one end to the bar (1 and at the other end to a bar (1 on the frame above the spring, and'limits the rearward expansion of the sprin and a pin (i is en aged in the'frame forwar 1y of the spring an hmits the forward expansion thereof.

For the purpose ofreducing the jolt or jar mechanism, the axle A is provided with coiled springs a which bear at their inner ends against collars a on the axle and at their outer ends bear against the wheels a" with sufiicient force to cause the wheels to other preferred means on which are-two outon the carriage caused by the reversal of the turn with the axle when the axle is rotated, but when the axle is reversed the wheels may rotate on the axle enough to prevent the sod den stopping of the carriage.

The operation is as follows: When it is desired to set the automatic propelling and reversing mechanism in operation to reoiprocate the carriage, the bar I is pulled rearwardly, thereby partially rotating the shaft I and causing the cam i to force the arm 7r downwardly and throw the lever H out of the path of the arm H thereby permitting said ever to pass between the arm and the frame into contact with the pin 77/. When said arm H is in engagement with the forward side of the lever H, as shown in Fig. 5, the last tooth of one of the sets of teeth on the gear Gis in engagement with the pinion a as shown in Fig. 3, and as said arm is released the gear tooth passes out of engagement with its pinion and the first gear tooth of one of the sets of teeth on the gear G comes into engagement with the pinion a and that set act ing on said pinion reverses the rotation of the axle. When that set has passed the inion a the gear G again drives the axle in t eopposite direction, and the operation is repeated by the alternate gear connections between said gears and theaxle. hen one set of teeth of one gear passes from its pinion, another set of' teeth on the other gear engages the other pinion on the axle and thereby reverses the axle, and as such reversal takes place the arm H contacts with the pin k and' diminishes the strain on the gear teeth.

' the lever, and when released suflicient move- 10a ment of the axle is permitted to insure the other gear coming into engagement with the pimon.

Obviously a reversing mechanism embodying my invention is adapted for use upon any I other devices than baby carriages, and any desired means may be employed to provide the motor power; Obviously also many details of construction may be varied without departing from the principles of my invention.

I claim as iny invention:

1. The combination with an axle of segment gears adapted to rotate the same alternately in opposite directions, and means adapted to start and stop said gears.

2. Thecombination with an axle of means adapted to rotate the same in opposite directlons, an arm on said axle and adjustable means adapted when in one position to, engage said arm and hold the axle from movement and when in another position to per--' mit said arm to oscillate.

3. In a device of the class described the combination with the running gear of'a carthe carriage with 1 operation.

riage, of; mechanism *connected therewith ada ted to move the carriage alternately bac ward and-forward,;an oscillating arm on said mechanism and means'adapted tobe moved, into and out of the path of said arm for throwing said mechanism into and out of p device of'the class described'the combinationwith the running gear of a carinto and ontof-actionp 5Q In -:adevice of the; class described. the

carr age, 'antomatic-meansadapte mittently 'reversefthe can'i'age, an oscillating armandjmeans "adapted when in one position tO-Jimit-thQmOvement of's'aid' arm and stop the propelling meansv 6; In a {device of the'class described-the combination withthe running gear of a car'- riage, 'of automatic means-thereon adapted to .-1ntermittently :drive said carriage in oppo'site:..d1rections,* an oscillating arm con- I I nected' withjsaid means a stop lever control- 1mg said. arm and means. for operating said 1 7.; In. a'deviee' of the class described the combination" an axle, v of propelling means therefor, segment. ears connecting saidlpropelling means wit adaptedto drive theaxle in-opposite directions and oontrolli means adapted to start and stop the propel 'ng means.

8-. In .a deviceof the class described the combination with the front and rear axles of a vehicle, of shame on one of the same, a spring motor-1n,sa1d frame, a gear connectlon between said motor and axle; adapted to.

drive the axle intermittently in opposite directions, a-stop' lever-pivoted on the-frame andmeans on the axle adapted to normally engage said lever and hold the axle from rotation. f 1

9. In a. device of the class described the combination with the front and rear axle, of

adapted to be ment gears, an arm on said onsaid axle, supported in the frame and each adapted to the axle and a spring motor, a frame supporting. said motor, a pair. of double segment gears in said frame, means connecting said gears with the motor and adapted to drive the same in opposite directions, pinions on onof said axles alternately driven by said-seg-- axle. and means and out of engageadapted to be thrown into ment with said arm and startand stop the.

motor.

10. In a device of the class described the combination with an axle, of a pair of'pinions thereon, a pair of double segment gears supportedadjacent said axle and adapted to alternatel driving sald gears oppositely, an arm on said jaxle, a'le ver adapted when 1n oneosition to engage said arm and holdthe ax e from rotation, and means. leverout of the path. of said arm.

11. In a device of the. class described the :frontand-"rear axles, of a frame supported adjacent one of said axles, a pair of pinions a pan of double segment gears engage one of said pinions when the other is out of engagement with the other pinion,

means adapted to drive said segment gears oppositely, an arm on the axle, a lever pivoted .on the frame and means adapted to throw said lever into and out of engagement withsaid arm.

.12. In a device of the class described the combination with the front and rear axles, of wheels j ournaled thereon, springs adapted to normally retard the rotation vof the wheels on one of said axles, mechanism on said axle adapted to intermittently rotate it in opposite directions, and means for throwing said mechanism intol andout of operation.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

JULIUS ZAJAC.

lVitness es JOSEPH SCHLENKEh, RoBT. KLoTz.

y engage said pinion's, means for.

adapted to throw said.

70 comb nation with .the running gear having 

